Halo could be heading to mobile and handheld devices, according to a new job posting at Microsoft’s Redmond HQ. The Halo team is looking for someone to “blend console, web, and mobile”, which is a clear indication that something Halo related is heading to mobile space, although it’s not clear exactly what.
Halo has long been tipped for a mobile / handheld outing; the franchise is of huge importance to Xbox, having placed the original console on the map and come back for a superb third outing on the Xbox 360. Even the long-defunct Gizmondo console was rumoured to be getting a mobile Halo title at one stage, though thankfully nothing came of it.
It’s possible that Microsoft would use the popularity of another device, the iPhone for example, to build Halo’s credentials and hopefully convert people to buy the Xbox 360. But it’s more likely that if Redmond goes for a full Halo outing on a handheld, it’ll be to bolster one of Microsoft’s own platforms. That could mean a Windows Mobile version, or one for the Zune.
If we’re being really optimistic, this could be the first indicator of a proper Zune / Xbox handheld. Suppose Microsoft seriously wanted to get into handheld console space, to give Sony and Nintendo something else to worry about. You can be damned sure that Halo would be one of the first titles on there.
Or it could be something else entirely. The job description even sounds a little like it might have an element of MMO to it, with responsibilities including “Designing the infrastructure for simulation millions of concurrent users on the service”. It might simply be away of tracking Halo players and stats from a mobile device with no playable component at all. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
(via DigitalSpy)
